Steam pipe arrangement for articulated locomotives



Nov. 26, 19. L. w. HANCE ETAL STEAM PIPE ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTICULATEDLOCOMOTIVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1939- g V I 4 INVENTORS L.nweewce W. HnNcE ATTORNEY I. imam THOMAS E. HEEBICK dz.

N h 26, L. W. HANCE ETAL w fi STEAM PIPE ARRANGEMENT FOR ARTICULATEDLOCOMOTIVES Filed April 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 ll l l llllllaqlllllil ll l j INVENTORS LAWRENCE W. HaNcE. THoMns E. HEEEICK de.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1940 PATENT OFFICE STEAM PIPE ARRANGEMNT FORARTICU- v LATED LOCOMOTIVES Lawrence Hance, Philadelphia, and Thomas E.

. Herrick, Jr., Lan sclowne, Pa.

Application April 1, 1939, Serial No. 265,588

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to articulated locomotives and moreparticularly to an improved steam pipe arrangement for conducting steamfrom the rear cylinders to the front cyl- '5 inders.

' In the general type of steam-pipe arrangement disclosed herein, steamis supplied 'to the rear cylinders through longitudinal supply pipesextending from the front end of the locomotive 10 boiler rearwardlyalongside thereof to the rear pair of cylinders, these longitudinalpipes being cross-connected to a single longitudinal pipe which extendsfrom the rear cylinder saddle forwardly to the front cylinders. "Thisgeneral type 5 of piping arrangement has heretofore created seriousdifliculties arising out of expansion and contraction of thecross-over'steam pipe relative to the cooler cylinder structure andsaddle, thus causing excessive strains and consequent cracks in thepiping. Various arrangements have been suggested and used for overcomingthis difliculty and while certain of these prior arrangements areeffective in principle, yet the-specific nature of the structureheretofore employed to utilize such desirable principles has introducedadditional difficulties. Such difficulties-have involved excessiveweakening of the locomotive bed par ticularly when of the integrallycast type while insuflicient accessibility of the various elements forinitial assembly or subsequent repair and inspection has made the costof manufacture and maintenance excessive.

It is an object of my invention to-provide an improved steam pipearrangement for articulated locomotives whereby the cross-over pipingarrangement may be effectively connected to the single longitudinalsupply pipe leading from the rear cylinder saddle to the frontcylinders. A further object is to provide an improved crossover pipingarrangement whereby the same may be connected in a simple and effectivemanner to a usual ball and socket housing which forms a part of the rearcylinder saddle and from which the main longitudinal steam supply pipeextends forwardly to the front cylinders.

Another object is to provide an improved crossover piping arrangement incombination with a common pipe extending through the rear cylindersaddle whereby the saddle structure has maximum strength While stillallowing maximum flexibility of the piping during expansion andcontraction thereof.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following description of the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation ofan articulated type locomotiveemploying my improved steam pipe arrangement;

' Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 2--2 ofFig. 1 to show the crossover pipes in rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rear cylinder strucon the line 4-4 of Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

The articulated locomotive as shown in Fig. 1 has front and rear pairsof cylinders I and'2 mounted upon usual frames of the respective drivingwheel units which are pivotally connected by a bar in a usual andwell-known manner. Steam is supplied to the rear cylinders through apairof steam supply pipes or conduits 3 and 4 extending rearwardly fromthe front end of the boiler alongside thereof for connection to Ts 5 and6 which, in turn, are connected to the respective valve chests of therear cylinders. The two longitudinal sides pipes are connected togetherat their rear ends, as through the rear legs ofsaid Ts, by a cross-overpipe enerally indicated at 1. This cross-over pipe has two identicalsections 8 and 9 which, as shown in Fig. 3, are curved inwardlypreferably along a wide' sweeping curve terminating in an inner straightportion for communication, Fig. 2, with oppositely extending V--1egs 8aand 9a of a central connection I0. As shown in Fig. 3 this connectionhas a T leg II secured to a central pipe l2 which extends forwardlythrough and freely of the saddle structure except for a rigid connectionthereto at a ball and socket housing l3. The cross-over pipe sections 8and 9, as shown in Fig. 2, are also inclined downwardly to the centralsaddle pipe l2 thereby insuring maximum lateral flexibility of thecross-over pipe during expansion and contraction relative to the coolercylinder saddle.

The ball and socket housing I3 is formed preferably integrally with thefront stretcher wall M of the rear cylinder saddle while a tunnel orother suitable opening liextends from the ball housing I3 entirelyrearwardly through a rear stretcher wall- [6 of the cylinder saddle. Thefront end of pipe 12 may be welded to the housing l3,-this vv bility ofthe cross-over pipe sections 8 and 9-durbeing accomplished before theball joint and packing I! is inserted in the housing. A pair of feet l8,formed on connection II], are longitudinally slidably supported upon ahorizontal wall I9 of the bed frame 20 of the rear driving unit. Asshown in Fig. 6, guide bolts 2! have shouldered portions rigidly securedto wall [9 and extend through suitable longitudinal guiding slots 22formed'in the feet. Hence pipe l2 can freely expand longitudinallyinasmuch as only the front end thereof is rigidly held and thisexpansion may be accompanied by maximum lateral flexiing expansionthereof.

Steam is conducted to the front cylinders through a main longitudinalsteam supply pipe 23, Fig. 3, which is swivelly supported in 'the balland socket housing I3. Usual exhaust pipes 24 and 25 may be connected tothe rear and front cylinders respectively but these do not enterintov mypresent invention. It will be noted as shown in Fig. 5 that the tunnelarrangement [5 permits longitudinal guide-ways 26'to besupported on thewalls 21 of the tunnel l5. These guide-ways longitudinally slidablysupport a usual cross-head to which is connected a valve operating rodfor the front cylinders. This central valve operating rod may havemaximum movement without interfering in anyway with my improvedcross-over piping arrangement.

A usual bar for connecting the articulated units may be disposed withina recess 28 formed in the rear cylinder saddle. The cross-over pipesections 8 and. 9 are preferably connected to the Ts 5 and 6 and to theV-legs 8a and 9a through bolted flanges, if desired. 7

From the foregoing disclosure, it is seen that I have provided anextremely simple and effective cross-over piping arrangement forconnecting the ends of the longitudinal side pipes 3 and 4 to the mainlongitudinal steam pipe 23 for supplying steam to the front cylinders.The cross-over piping arrangement has, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,maximum simplicity in its form as well as in its relation to thecylinder saddle, this simplicity insuring a high degree of flexibilityduring expansion and contraction of the crossover pipes in eitherlongitudinal or lateral directions. Each section of the cross-over pipehas a simple curvature in plan view as shown in Fig. 3 while in rearelevation the sections respectively lie along substantially straightlines. The arrangement further permits a low initial cost in themanufacture of the particular simplified cross-over pipe sections, whichbroadlyincludes central saddle pipe l2 as part of the cross-over pipingsystem, and also permits this system to be easily and effectivelyassembled with the rear cylinder saddle merely by moving the pipe l2forwardly into tunnel l5 and into engagement with the ball and sockethousing l3. This forward assembling movement insures minimum disturbanceto the design and arrangement of the saddle walls thereby allowing thesame to have maximum strength and low cost manufacture. I V

7 It will of course be understood that various changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A high pressure steam pipe arrangement for articulated locomotiveshaving a rear cylinder saddle provided with a pair of cylinders to whichsteam is supplied respectively through pipes extending longitudinallyalong the sides of the boiler and terminating in connectionsrespectively rigidly secured to said rear cylinders, and

a forward pair of cylinders to which steam is supplied through alongitudinal pipe extending forwardly from the rear cylinder saddlecomprising, in combination, alateral cross-over pipe rigidly connectedat its ends to said rear cylinder connections for communication withsaid longitudinal side pipes, said cross-over pipe curv- -ing inwardlyand downwardly toward the centerline of the locomotive so as to havelateral flexibility during expansion and contraction thereof, a pipeextending centrally through said saddle for communication with theforwardly extending steam supply pipe and connected to saidcrossoverpipe at an intermediate portion thereof, said saddle havingprovision whereby said central pipe is receivable in the saddle by beinginitially v insertable therein from the rear thereof,- and means forrigidly connecting'only the forward end of said central pipe to saidsaddle whereby said centralpipe may expand freely rearwardly relative tothe saddle.

2,-The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in thatsaid curved crossover pipe includes two curved pipe sections inclineddownwardly toward the central saddle pipe for rigid connection thereto.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in thatsaid cross-over pipe includes similarsections extending inwardlyanddownwardly toward each. other, a connection having V-legssecured to theinner ends of said pipe sections and a horizontal T leg for connectionto the rear end of said central saddle pipe.

4. A high-pressure steam pipe arrangement rigidly connected at its endsto said rear cylin derconnections for communication with saidlongitudinal side pipes, said cross-overpipe curving inwardly anddownwardly toward the centerline of thelocomotive so as to have lateralflexibility during expansion and contraction thereof, a pipe extendingcentrally through said saddle for connection to the forwardly extendingsteam supply pipe and to said cross-over pipe at .an intermediateportion thereof, and means for rigidly connecting only the forward endof said central pipe to said saddle whereby said central pipemay expandfreely rearwardly, said lateral cross-over pipe including a pipe sectionwhich in plan view curves inwardly from one of said longitudinal sidepipes to the central saddle pipe while in rear elevation said pipesection lies along a substantially straight line. Y

5. A high-pressure steam pipe arrangement for articulated locomotiveshaving a rear cylinder saddle provided with a pair of cylinders to whichsteam is supplied respectively through pipes extending longitudinallyalong the sides of the boiler and terminating in connectionsrespectively rigidly secured to said rear cylinders, and a forward pairof cylinders to which steam a pipe extending centrally through saidsaddle is supplied through a longitudinal pipe extending forwardly fromthe rear cylinder saddle comprising, in combination, a lateralcross-over pipe rigidly connected at its ends to said rear cylinderconnections for communication with said longitudinal side pipes, saidcross-over pipe curving inwardly and downwardly toward the centerline ofthe locomotive so as to have lateral flexibility during expansion andcontraction thereof, a pipe extending centrally through said saddle forconnection to the forwardly extending steam supply pipe and to saidcross-over pipe at an intermediate portion thereof, and means forrigidly connecting only the forward end of said central pipe to saidsaddle whereby said central pipe may expand freely rearwardly, saidcross-over pipes including a pipe section which in plan view curvesinwardly from one of the longitudinal side pipes and terminates in asubstantially straight portion adjacent the central saddle pipe while inrear elevation said section lies substantially along a straight line.

6. A high-pressure steam pipe arrangement for articulated locomotiveshaving a rear cylinder saddle provided with a pair of cylinders to whichsteam is supplied respectively through pipes extending longitudinallyalong the sides of the boiler and terminating in connectionsrespectively rigidly secured to said rear cylinders, and a forward pairof cylinders to which steam is supplied through a longitudinal pipeextending forwardly from the rear cylinder saddle comprising, incombination, a lateral cross-over pipe rigidly connected at its ends tosaid rear cylinder connections for communication with said longi tudinalside pipes, said cross-over pipe having similar sections extendinginwardly and downwardly for connection to each other in substantiallyopposed relation so as to allow lateral flexibility during expansion andcontraction thereof,

for communication with the forwardly extending steam supply pipe, ahorizontal T leg connecting said central saddle pipe to said cross-overpipe sections at the point of their opposed connection to each other,and means for rigidly connecting only the forward end of said centralpipe to said saddle whereby said central pipe may expand freelyrearwardly.

7. A high-pressure steam pipe arrangement for articulated locomotiveshavinga rear cylinder saddle and a pair of cylinders to which steam issupplied respectively through pipes extending rearwardly from the frontof the boiler longitu-- dinally along the sides thereof and terminatingin connections respectively rigidly secured to said rear cylinders, anda forward pair of cylinders to which steam is supplied through alongitudinal pipe extending forwardly from the rearcylinder saddlecomprising, in combination, front and rear saddle stretcher walls therear one of which has an opening therein and the front one of which hasan integral ball and socket housing in which the rear end of saidforwardly extending longitudinal supply pipe is swivelly supported, apipe rigidly connected at its front end to said housing and extendingfreely rearwardly through the central portion of said saddle and throughsaid opening in the rear stretcher wall thereof, and a branched pipeextending laterally from the rear end of said central saddle pipe forrigid connection to said longitudinal side pipes.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 further characterized in thatthe front and rear stretcher walls of the saddle are connected bylongitudinal walls to form a tunnel through which said saddle pipefreely extends.

LAWRENCE W. I-IANCE. THOMAS E. HERRICK, JR.

